San Bernardino is hosting a Housing Summit tonight to discuss the city's future housing needs.

The Inland Empire has taken a bruising during the current foreclosure crisis and the summit could be a chance to learn about how San Bernardino officials are reacting to economic developments.

The meeting is scheduled to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight at the former Woolworth building at 396 North E Street.

Here's an unusual piece of news from New York City. The Daily News "stole" the Empire State Building by drafting fake documents as part of a story on real estate fraud.

Here's the link.

I spoke with SBPD information technology manager Michael Eckley today during the department's open house. Eckley's job includes upgrading the Police Department's Web site, which is scheduled for improvements in the wake of this year's decision to close down the department's community policing substations.

The planned upgrades - public access to crime maps, more contact information posted for commanders and key officers, etcetera - are clearly good ideas. That said, it's hard to see how any Internet service can replace a brick-and-mortar substation that provided San Bernardino residents a place to meet police personnel on a face-to-face basis. As I've reported previously, the Redlands Police Department was also forced by budget pressures to close substations in 2007.

Although I don't know offhand whether other departments have made similar cutbacks, it's more likely than not that 2009 will be a year of tough choices for Inland Empire governments. The tax revenues just aren't going to be enough to avoid budget cuts.

Wednesday's open house also afforded what appeared to be more than 50 residents a chance to walk through SBPD's station and see department equipment, including a new SWAT team van that has room for eight officers, weapons and ammo and a computer system that Lt. Dave Harp said will allow SWAT officers to be self-sufficient in the field.

Here's a short article that's set to run in The Sun about SBPD's plans to upgrade their Web site and patrol car technology:

The city library's Acadmey of Public Scholars' next discussion will revolve around 16th century humanist Michel de Montaigne's "An Apology for Raymond Sebond."

Here's some excerpt's from an Oregon State University description of the work:

"Who is Raymond Sebond, and why does he need an Apology? If you are not familiar with the classical use of the word "apology" as in Plato's dialogue of that name, an apology is a defense. Raymond Sebond was a Spanish theologian (possibly a Catalan) who wrote a book called Natural Theology or The Book of Creatures, written in the 1420s or 30s. The book, written in scholastic Latin, aims to firmly establish one in the Catholic faith, free of wavering and doubt. ...

"Why did Montaigne write a defense of the Natural Theology and given that Sebond's book aimed to remove man's doubts, what role could skepticism play in such a defense? In Montaigne's hands, Sebond's method shows enlightened Christians that revealed truths and the book of Nature properly read say the same things. The Apology is divided into two sections which correspond to two assertions of Sebond. The first is that man, when properly enlightened can read the book of Nature correctly. The second is that without God's grace, man can never read the book of Nature correctly. Sebond had been criticized on the grounds that "...Christians do themselves wrong in wishing to support their belief with human reason; belief is grasped only by faith and by private inspiration from God's grace." (quoted in Screech trans, An Apology for Raymond Sebond Pg. xvi). Montaigne dismisses this view rather quickly. Once one has Faith, it is reasonable to draw on ones other faculties to support it. The second, and much longer section of the Apology is aimed to counter the charge that Sebond's arguments that unaided human reason cannot read the book of Nature are weak. It is here that Montaigne deploys his arsenal of skeptical arguments to show that unaided human reason (not to mention the senses) cannot give us knowledge. If we were to look at a complete translation of the Apology for Raymond Sebond, we would find that all of the reading we are going to do comes near the end of the second and largest part of that work."

The Academy of Public Scholars' next meeting is scheduled to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at Panera Bread, 1092 East Hospitality Lane.

Reference librarian Eric Kessler is scheduled to lead the discussion. It's OK to attend without having previously digested Montaigne's essay.

The City Council formally called for a special election to replace outgoing councilman Neil Derry.

Derry resigned as of 11:59 a.m. today to take a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. Until today, Derry represented the city's 4th Ward, which comprises the northeastern part of the city.

The council set the nomination period for candidates wishing to succeed Derry to begin on Dec. 18 and end on Jan. 8. The election, to be conducted almost entirely by mail-in ballot, is set for March 17.

Here's a longer version of an article that Sun county reporter Lauren McSherry and myself wrote on former 4th Ward Councilman Neil Derry's elevation to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

By Lauren McSherry and Andrew Edwards
Staff Writers

Neil Derry was not often in the county's political spotlight during his seven years on the San Bernardino City Council, but he stepped into a larger role by ousting longtime Supervisor Dennis Hansberger in the June 3 election.

On Monday, Derry -- who previously served on behalf of San Bernardino's northeastern area -- was sworn in as 3rd District Supervisor. He now represents a vast territory stretching from San Bernardino north to Big Bear Lake and east to Yucca Valley.

"I plan on bringing new leadership into the 3rd district and the county of San Bernardino," Derry said Monday. "I plan on serving the district aggressively."

Derry exits a City Council that over the course of the past few months has had to confront some divisive issues. Officials have dealt with a range of subjects including the arrest of youth center supervisor on suspicion of child molestation, cops' vote of no confidence in the police chief and budget cuts.

The Board of Supervisors has had its share of drama this year as well. Supervisors acknowledge that some constituents have pressured them to discipline Assessor Bill Postmus, who multiple sources say has battled an addiction to methamphetamine.

Meanwhile, San Bernardino Mountain dwellers -- now represented by Derry -- have been working to rebuild their homes after the Grass Valley and Slide fires devastated their communities in October 2007.

Derry was first elected to the San Bernardino City Council in 2001, defeating former Mayor Bob Holcomb for an opportunity to represent northeastern San Bernardino.

In the seven years since he was first elected, Derry established himself in part as a staunch advocate for public city in a city that has seen more than its share of gang-related violence.

He also experienced a major disaster during his first term. After the Old Fire burned a path through San Bernardino in 2003, Derry supported a move to waive permit and inspection fees for fire victims who sought to rebuild homes in the city.

Derry said Monday after the swearing in ceremony that he was motivated to run for supervisor to address the pockets of crime in the unincorporated areas of San Bernardino and because he perceived a lack of cooperation between the county and city on some issues.

Longtime San Bernardino councilwoman Esther Estrada had a somewhat different take. She noted that she and Derry have different viewpoints - she sees herself as a proponent for social services whereas she considers Derry to be a proponent of business - but said Derry's new job as a county supervisor could be beneficial for the city.

However, she said she was pleased with Hansberger's relationship with the city and said San Bernardino officials can also communicate with 5th District Supervisor Josie Gonzales, who also represents part of the city.

San Bernardino councilwoman Wendy McCammack said she hoped that Derry's elevation to the Board of Supervisors means that he will be able to push new resources to the city to help police supress crime.

Derry has enjoyed strong financial support from law enforcement unions during his campaigns and from has pushed for the San Bernardino Police Department to receive a greater share of public funding.

Derry was at the center of an important debate in 2006, when San Bernardino voters passed Measure Z -- a quarter-cent sales tax hike -- to raise money for crime fighting efforts.
But voters also passed Measure YY, a nonbinding ballot referendum that gave voters a way to tell city officials that they wanted new tax revenues to finance crime prevention programs in addition to beefing up the city's police force.

But to Derry, Measure Z was sold to the public as a "police tax" and after its passage, he argued that the tax's sole purpose should be to enhance policing and code enforcement. A majority of the council initially agreed with him, voting in February 2007 to direct the first batch of Measure Z revenues entirely to the Police Department.

Things would change. For the current budget year, the council opted to spend more than $160,000 in Measure Z funds on programs to keep children away from crime.

Council colleague Dennis Baxter was on the opposite side of Measure Z debate, but nonetheless credited Derry for not changing his position on the subject.

"I've always been an advocate for the aspects of prevention, intervention, as well as policing," Baxter said. "Once again, he was consistent. He wasn't all over the map."

Another councilman, Rikke Van Johnson, said he the city would miss Derry's leadership, although the two are far from ideological twins.

"We were practivally on opposite ends of the spectrum," Johnson said. "But I still respected his view because he was articulate in defending his positions."

Like public safety, the stewardship of taxpayer money is a universal job requirement for all elected officials. As a supervisor, Derry can't escape the financial challenges that all local governments are dealing with as tax revenues plummet in the new recession.

"Every municipality is going to be facing the same issues. We're dealing with limited dollars," Johnson said. "We're going to have to make choices that are not going to be well received by the people."

With Derry so new to the county's political stage, political insiders have been left wondering what direction his leadership style will take.

"My hope is that he finds a way to work closely with his colleagues," said Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Claremont. Adams' district stretches to include parts of the San Bernardino Valley.

Asked if he perceived Derry as more of a renegade maverick or a bridge builder, Adams said, "It's difficult to say I would hope for a collaboraritve effort. Politics is a team sport."

Current supervisors Josie Gonzales and Brad Mitzelfelt were also sworn in to four-year terms. During the swearing in ceremony, the supervisors avoided mention of Postmus' name in their speeches although they alluded to the turmoil coming out of the Assessor's Office.

Derry, who ran on a government reform platform, said a proposal for an ethics commission _ designed as an independent body to investigate corruption allegations - is in the works.

Gonzales seemed to be referring to Postmus when, in her speech, she asked voters to evict her from office if she stops doing her best.

"We have enough to deal with individuals who do not take their offices seriously," she said.

Mitzelfelt, won election in June, formerly served as Postmus' chief of staff and was appointed to fill Postmus' seat as supervisor after Postmus was elected assessor in 2006.

In his speech, Mitzelfelt said he had spent 22 months as supervisor, serving out "someone else's term."

Here's a followup to our story on former Operation Phoenix director Glenn Baude's decision to retire. This is an extended version of the article that will appear in The Sun.

Baude was under a gag order for much of the time that Phoenix-related developments and controversies dominated the news during the summer. He's now able to speak his mind.

Note: Comments from Councilman Tobin Brinker and Rikke Van Johnson were added on Monday, Dec. 1.

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- Glenn Baude, the former leader of the city's Operation Phoenix program, says he's never been told whether any specific error on his part killed his career with the
city.

"I'm still wondering what I did wrong," Baude said Wednesday.

Baude has been cleared of wrongdoing by a pair of official investigations, but has nonetheless chosen to retire after spending about three months on administrative leave.

Now free to discuss Operation Phoenix-related matters that he was previously forbidden to talk about, Baude acknowledged that he and others made some mistakes in the difficult days after youth center manager Mike Miller was arrested on suspicion of child molestation.

But he also maintained that Operation Phoenix remains a worthy program to reduce crime and improve the lives of San Bernardino youth.

And he's worried that this summer's controversies have dealt too grievous a blow to the anti-crime initiative.

"You've destroyed a program that was the best program we've ever had in my tenure," he said.

Baude also served as the city's Code Enforcement director until being placed on paid leave in late July. He was Mayor Pat Morris' Operation Phoenix point man for about two years before the allegations against Miller inflamed city politics.

LifeStream, formerly known as Blood Bank of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, is hosting a blood drive and marrow screening today at a northside fire station.

The blood drive is scheduled to be held from 2 to 6 p.m. today at the San Bernardino City Fire station at 6065 Palm Ave., which is at the corner of Palm and Kendall Drive.

Blood donors will be able to register in the National Marrow Donor Program.

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- CQ Press rates the city as the 36th most crime-afflicted burg in the United States, based on an analysis of 2007 crime data.

That's something of a step down from the last batch of rankings, when San Bernardino took 42nd place. But it's still better than the rankings that the city recorded a few years ago.

In 2005, San Bernardino occupied 18th place on the list, which was then published by Morgan Quitno Press. Things were worse in 2004, when San Bernardino was mired in 16th place.

The new data was released on Monday. CQ Press used FBI figures on six crimes -- murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft -- for its calculations.

Although crime statistics for 2008 are not included in CQ Press' current batch of rankings, San Bernardino police report that homicides and other serious crimes are on the decline this year.

Departmental statistics -- current through October -- that show year-over-year declines in seven key crime categories. However, John Law and Joe Public alike have yet to see how the national economic decline may affect overall crime rates in San Bernardino and other cities.

"2007 wasn't a great really a great year for us on impacting crime, (but) we didn't lost much ground," said Jim Morris, chief of staff to Mayor Pat Morris.

"2008 is getting some good results," he said later. "We continue to beef up the presence of police in the street."

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San Bernardino has the 36th worst crime rate in the United States, according to new rankings released by CQ Press.

That's a step down from last year, when San Bernardino held the 42nd spot. Nevertheless the city holds a better ranking than in 2004, when San Bernardino was listed as the 16th most dangerous city in the nation.

The most dangerous city, according to the list, is New Orleans. The safest city in America is Ramapo, N.Y.

From San Bernardino Associated Governments:

SAN BERNARDINO, CA - For the safety of pedestrians in the area, San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad officials would like to remind local residents and visitors that the new State Street bridge is now the only pedestrian and cyclist crossing over Cajon Boulevard and the railroad tracks.

Now that the bridge has opened, it is important to note that the previous crossing at "old" State Street is no longer available and has been closed to all public access. The existing roadway has been removed and concrete barriers are in place to limit vehicle access. Pedestrian access has been blocked with a fence that spans the former crossing.

Entering the fenced area is considered trespassing on railroad property, which is a federal misdemeanor. Additionally, any damage to railroad property (i.e. fencing or gates) is a felony.

With the significant change in pedestrian routes from the residential areas to the retail outlets north of Cajon Boulevard, SANBAG wants to encourage pedestrians to utilize the new State Street bridge instead of seeking alternative routes that could be dangerous.

"We are committed to the safety of all residents and businesses in this area," said Jane Dreher, public information officer for SANBAG. "Improvements such as the State Street/University Parkway grade separation are key to creating safe routes that avoid interaction between trains and vehicles or pedestrians."

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- City Hall officials are holding off on a plan to give a local criminologist and former inland police chief an inside look at the Police Department.

Until recently, City Hall and police figures had discussed the possibility of hiring Cal State San Bernardino professor Larry Gaines and former Fontana and Rialto chief Frank Scialdone to evaluate management issues within the Police Department.

Those discussions followed events in September when the Police Officers Association made a very public break with Police Chief Michael Billdt's administration. Union leaders voted no confidence in Billdt, who soon after announced that he plans to retire in March.

Mayor Pat Morris has steadfastly supported Billdt, but also allowed that the city's law enforcement efforts could benefit from expert analysis of issues that contributed to the breach between police brass and rank-and-file. That's where Gaines and Scialdone would have come in.

But now it appears as if City Hall and police will wait until a new chief is in town to decide if any kind of police audit will be worthwhile.

"Chief Billdt's successor, together with the interested parties, are expected to reevaluate the need, purpose and intent of this study once the new Police Administration is in place next Spring," interim City Manager Mark Weinberg wrote in an email Monday.

A much-touted plan to bring in a local criminologist and former police chief to study SBPD has been shelved, at least for the next few months.

"Chief (Michael) Bildt's successor, together with the interested parties, are expected to reevaluate the
need, purpose and intent of this study once the new Police Administration is in place next Spring," interim City Manager Mark Weinberg wrote in an email.

City officials had discussed the possibility of having Cal State San Bernardino criminologist Larry Gaines and former Fontana and Rialto police chief Frank Scialdone provide a third-party look at SBPD in the wake of a very public rupture between the police union and Billdt.

Now, it seems as if the plan for all parties is to simply wait for the chief to retire in March and see what happens after the city has a new top cop.